Who won Arkansas in the 1980 presidential election?

Reagan (Republican) carried Arkansas in 1980, winning its 6 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Arkansas have in 1980?

Arkansas cast 6 electoral votes in the 1980 presidential election.

Did Arkansas vote for the national winner in 1980?

Yes. Arkansas backed Ronald Reagan, who won the presidency that year.

Cold War RealignmentAR · 6 EV

1980

Arkansas: Reagan carries 6 EV.

Arkansas cast its 6 electoral votes for Reagan (Republican). National winner: Ronald Reagan (Republican) — Arkansas voted with the national winner this cycle.

What happened in Arkansas, 1980

In 1980, Arkansas awarded its 6 electoral votes to Reagan of the Republican party. That placed Arkansas with the eventual winner: Ronald Reagan went on to take the presidency, and Arkansas was part of his column.

The result flipped Arkansas away from the Democratic it had supported in 1976. Arkansas did not move alone — neighboring Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma broke the same way in 1980. Over its 47 recorded presidential cycles, Arkansas has backed the Democratic party more than any other — 32 times in all. The vote fell within the Cold War Realignment — Nixon, Reagan, and the Republican South.

Nationally, Ronald Reagan finished with 489 of the 538 electoral votes to Jimmy Carter's 49. Ronald Reagan led the national popular vote with 50.75% of the ballots cast.

The 1980 national map

Arkansas full history →